By Jaymie Kahn-Rapp, Assistant Vice President of Harm Reduction and Recovery
At Family and Children’s Association (FCA), we’re committed to serving Long Island’s most vulnerable populations — and in the Harm Reduction and Recovery division, that mission comes to life every single day through the dedication and passion of an extraordinary team.
As Assistant Vice President of this division, I have the privilege of witnessing firsthand the compassion, resilience, and humanity that fuel our work. Many of our team members bring lived experience with substance use disorder — a perspective that adds unmatched depth and authenticity. Because they truly understand the barriers our participants face — stigma, trauma, housing insecurity, relapse, emotional pain — they meet every individual with empathy, urgency, and a sincere commitment to helping them move forward.
What I see day in and day out is nothing short of inspiring.
Our team shows up wherever they’re needed — at hospital bedsides, in colleges, clinics, and across our THRIVE Recovery Centers, just to name a few. We bring recovery and harm reduction directly into communities while also offering safe spaces where individuals can come to us for support. Staff distribute harm reduction supplies such as naloxone, fentanyl and xylazine test strips, provide education, and connect people to life-saving services. They walk alongside participants, offering multiple pathways to recovery and tailoring every recovery plan to the individual’s definition of success.
Through our Sherpa and harm reduction services, we provide peer support for those at highest risk, conduct HIV, Hepatitis C, and STI testing, and connect individuals to care. Daily, ongoing support is available through THRIVE, our recovery community and outreach centers. Our team leads with compassion — because they’ve lived it — and they never lose sight of the person behind the struggle.
Every service we offer is rooted in community need — and we’re always listening. But the work doesn’t stop.
- We continue to assess what’s needed next.
- We revise services to meet changing needs.
- We actively seek funding to launch new programs and fill existing gaps.
- And through it all, we make sure our participants’ needs remain at the center of everything we do.
Of course, this work is not without its challenges:
- Staff shortages and burnout are real and ongoing.
- Mental health needs are rising — among participants and staff alike.
- Funding uncertainties place essential programs at risk.
- And the emotional toll of not always seeing immediate outcomes can weigh heavily.
And yet, we persist — and we deliver.
In the past year alone, we’ve reached nearly 20,000 Long Islanders, expanded services, and forged strong partnerships throughout the region. Many of our programs didn’t exist ten years ago — they were created in direct response to community needs and continue to evolve today.
How do we make it work? We invest in our people.
We prioritize clinical supervision, professional development, and wellness resources to help staff manage the emotional intensity of the work. We encourage healthy boundaries and reflective practice. And we lead strategically — always planning several steps ahead, always ready to pivot to meet the moment.
When I transitioned into this role from harm reduction services in New York City, I knew that education would be a cornerstone of our growth. At the time, many staff and community partners were unfamiliar with harm reduction. We’ve spent years building understanding, shifting perspectives, and advancing a model of care rooted in compassion and dignity.
At FCA, we’re not just meeting people where they are — we’re building systems that honor who they are.
The Harm Reduction and Recovery division is proud to be part of FCA’s mission. We’re growing, learning, adapting — and most importantly, we’re showing up with heart.
Because the work we do matters.
And the people doing it? They’re the reason it works.
